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Monday, June 7, 2010

When the Days Start to Dwindle

There's a funny feeling in the air when the school days start to number in the very few (16 to be exact). Teachers start to relax a little, students feel freer and a whole lotta nothin' gets done!

My students have handed in their last major writing assignment, a persuasive essay which I will be frantically marking between now and Friday. They will write their last unit test on Wednesday for Geography, which again I will frantically try to mark by Friday. Lastly, my students will perform their Genres of Dance dance on Thursday and I will mark it...on Thursday!

Why so frantic? Well, unfortunately report cards have to go through an intense system of editing a proofreading before they are delivered to the students. Do I think the dates could be closer to the end of the year...yes! But, there are people running the system who have been running it longer than I have been teaching so they must know something I don't. Basically, after this week I will be filling time. There is still lots of stuff I haven't taught that the students need to know, but they won't be assessed on their learning. I do have some fun things planned to keep their attention- we are going to create "app's" for Grade 8 students that would help them survive Grade 8, and we are going to watch "An American Tail" as a case study for our immigration unit. Fun times right??

Plus there will be the end of the year parties, graduation, Wonderland trip and yearbook signing. But the days are being counted down!!!!